Synopsis

Jon sends Alliser Thorne out with Dywen and one other man to range beyond the Wall. Thorne believes that Jon is sending him out to die, though Dywen mockingly says that they will teach him to be a true ranger. Thorne tells Jon that he will not refuse and give him the pleasure of cutting his head off as he did with Janos Slynt. Thorne warns Jon that men killed by the Others still remember and he will come back if he is killed by one. Jon thinks to himself that he hopes Alliser Thorne does come back, alive, as he is still a brother in the Night's Watch. Jon is also sending out two other rangings, one led by Black Jack Bulwer and another by Kedge Whiteye.

Jon descends the Wall with Dolorous Edd, noting that he is receiving messages of need for more men from some of his commanders as more sightings of wildlings are being reported. He wonders where he is to find yet more men. He sees Iron Emmett in the yard and asks to spar with three of his best men, telling them all to come at him at the same time. Rattleshirt sees them and tells Jon that he should fight a man and not boys and they begin to spar. Rattleshirt is getting the best of him, despite fighting with a larger greatsword and no shield. Eventually they lose their swords, roll, and the fight ends with Rattleshirt on top. He is dragged off and Jon remarks that Rattleshirt fought well.

A raven arrives with a message[1] that Jon's half-sister Arya is to marry Ramsay Bolton. The others ask how old his sister is, and he replies that she is eleven and that he has no sisters, only brothers in the Night's Watch. Jon later remembers his sister and the sword Needle he once gave to her, wondering if she still has it.

He goes for a walk and sees Melisandre, though at first he believes her to be Ygritte. Melisandre tells him that he should not worry over matters of the heart and that she sees that his sister will flee this marriage and ride towards them on a dying horse. She also foresees that three of the rangers sent out will die, and come back eyeless. As she is leaving she tells him that when the dead men return, he should take her hand and she will save his sister.

References and Notes

↑Asha Greyjoy received what appears to be an identical message in Chapter 26, which would therefore appear to happen at almost the same time as this one. Both of them must therefore happen shortly after Chapter 20